Looper apparatus



g- 2, 9 G. J. SNYDER LOOPER APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1937 Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOPER APPARATUS Application April 8, 1937, Serial No. 135,694

2 Claims.

This invention relates to web treating apparatus, more particularly to web handling rolls for use in looper apparatus adapted to provide storage means for a continually progressed web, and has for an object the provision of an inexpensive and highly efficient roll of this character. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved looper roll for hanm dling a continuously progressed web of composition roofing material while the material is'in a relatively warm soft condition, which roll operates efficiently with a minimum amount of attention, which has an extremely long life, which carries out its web handling function without sticking to the web, and without marring or scarring the web, and which is capable of .retaining moisture for a relatively long period when subjected to intermittent compression and re- 20 lease. I

For a complete understanding of the invention reference should be had to the drawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates somewhat diagrammatical- 25 ly looper apparatus provided with looper rolls embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of one form of roll for use in the looper apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

In the manufacture of prepared roofing materials, resort is usually had to continuous processes in which a web or foundation sheet of felt or other material is saturated or impregnated with an asphalt or other substance having. a

5 relatively low melting point, and is thereafter coated on one or both faces with an asphalt or other substance having a relatively high melting point, this coating being provided in order to withstand the heat of the sun and the action of 40 other elements. Subsequent to this saturating and coating process, the continuous web may be treated in any desired manner; for example, it may be wound into rolls for sale as sheet roofing, or it may be fed to suitable coating apparatus 45 where it is cut into shingles.

Regardless of the character of the treatment to which the processed web is subjected after "it has passed through the impregnating and coating equipment, it is ordinarily necessary to pro- 50 vide storage space for the web intermediate the processing equipment and the additional equipment. Such storage space permits variations in the rate of feeding the processed sheet and, in addition, permits cooling of the sheet. In order 55 to provide this storage space, resort is usually had to what is commonly known in the art as looper apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 1, this looper apparatus consists of a pair of endless chains or belts l0, only one of which is shown, which chains or belts 5 carry a plurality of transversely extending looper bars ll, the chains or belts l0 being supported on and driven by suitable cogs or pulleys l2. As viewed in Fig. 1, these cogs or pulleys I2 rotate in a clockwise direction sothat the looper bars II are driven from left to right across the top of the looper apparatus- The looper apparatus when used to provide storage space for a continually progressed web, as referred to above,

, is disposed adjacent the outlet end of the processing equipment, and the continuously progressed web I3 is fed to the looper apparatus by means of a looper drum l4 over which the web passes, a suitable idler roll l5 being disposed above the drum on the opposite side of the web I3. From the looper apparatus the web is fed by means of suitable feed rolls [6 and I! to the additional winding or cutting equipment. Since the processing equipment and the winding or cutting equipment form no part of the present invention, it is not believed necessary to illustratethe same, but it will be understood that the web [3 is fed directly from the processing 7 equipment to the looper apparatus. and, accordingly, is in a relatively warm soft condition when it passes over the looper drum [4 to the looper bars II.

In order to insure that the web is deposited on the looper bars II in loops of predetermined length, the looper apparatus, as will be well un- 5 derstood by those skilled in the art, is provided with a stop roll l8 resiliently mounted adjacent the path of movement of the looper bars ll. As shown, this stop roll is rotatably mounted on one end of a pivoted arm I9. It will now be apparcut that as the looper bars move across. the top of the apparatus, the web l3 will be fed downwardly between two successive bars so as to form a loop until such time as the rear one of the two bars approaches the stop roll l8. This stog roll l8 extends transversely across thelooper apparatus and, accordingly, as soon as the rear one of the two looper bars begins to pass underneath the stop roll I8, the web l3 will be caught between the looper bar and the roll l8 so as to prevent further feeding of the web into that par ticular loop.

As the looper bar continues to move, the roller I8 is forced upwardly and passes over the top of the bar, thereby guiding the web I3 into the 4m pearance.

space between that bar and the next successive bar so as to begin the formation of another loop. It is believed that the operation of the stop roll it and the looper bars it with respect to the 5 web it will be fully understood by those skilled in the art without further description.

In the past, various types of materials have been used for forming the stop roll iii in looper apparatus of this character. Thus, steel, alumimum, and Wood havebeen used, and in many cases the rolls have been wrapped with materials, such as blanket, burlap, or other cloth. Considerable trouble has been encountered in handling the roofing materials in this manner since the roofing materials, as stated above, are relatively warm and soft at this point of the manufacturing operation, and it has been found that the stop roll, when formed of the materials indicated above, mar or scar the surface of the roofing material. Because of this marring action of the stop roll, the cloth wrappings referred to above have been resorted to, but even this construction has not been found satisfactory as these length of time and, when dry, wrinkle and stick to the asphalt coated web and thus further mar the appearance of the roofing material. Due to this faulty and ineficient operation, considerable scrap and waste has, in the past, been encountered in the manufacture of roofing materials, and it has been found necessaryto station a man at this point of the manufacturing equipment to keep the stop roll moist and to remove any asphalt which might collect on the roll. Even with this additional expense, however, the manufacturing process has not been entirely satisfactory since an excess application of water would often occur and this water running down over the roofing sheet would seriously mar its ap By means of the present invention, it has been found possible to eliminate completely this faulty operation by forming the stop roll or the web engaging surface of the stop roll of a resilient material capable of retaining moisture over long periods, such, for example, as sponge rubber. As shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the stop roll formed of wood and a. relatively thick cover-2i of sponge rubber or other similar material. In actual' practice it has been found that the useof a sponge rubber roll of this character completely eliminates stickingpf :the roll and also dispenses with the necessity of stationing a man at this point in the manufacturing equipment to keep the roll 'moist.

a While various types of sponge rubber or other cloth materials do not hold moisture forany airbase suitable material may be used, it has been found that a preferred material is a sponge rubber of very fine grain having'minute interstices, which rubber is capable of retaining moisture over a long period when subjected to intermittent compression and release, as is the stop roll it in the looper apparatus shown in Fig. i. Sponge rubber of this type is commercially available on the market and is commonly used in the manufacture of automobile and bus seats. In addition to its moisture retaining properties, sponge rubber of this character has been found. to have much greater wearing qualities than coverings heretofore used, such, for example, as blanket, burlap, or cloth.

In addition to the dimculties heretofore encountered with the. stop roll it, considerable dimculty has also been encountered with the idler rolls 66, due to the fact that these rolls, if formed of materials such as wood or steel even though covered with cloth materials, pick up asphalt from the surface of the web and eventually stick to the web. It has therefore been found highly desirable to form the idler roll it from the same sponge rubber material as is used in forming the stop roll I8, this material completely eliminating sticking.

While a particular embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it will, of ourse, be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made. and it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: I

1. In a looper apparatus of the type having a plurality of movable looper bars for handling a -continuously progressed web of impregnated asphalt-coated material while in a relatively warm soft condition, the combination of a stop roll cooperating with said movable bars to control the length of said web deposited between successive bars, the web engaging surface of said stop roll being formed of sponge rubber capable of retaining moisture for relatively long periods whereby sticking of said roll and scarring of said l web thereby is substantially prevented. it preferably consists of a cylindrical core 2% 2.'The combination with looper apparatus of the type having a plurality of looper bars movable in a predetermined path, and means for feeding a web thereto to form loops in said web extending between and Supported on said bars, of a stop roll cooperating with said movable bars to determine the length of each of said loops and I 

